Chapter 175
The mottled sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves. Under the tree, Lu Gu sat on a white stone, watching the calf grazing not far away. Staying at home every day wasn’t ideal. Tasks like cutting grass didn’t require his help, so as long as it wasn’t raining, he would take the calf out for a walk. When tired, he would find a clean stone to sit on and enjoy the breeze, it was quite comfortable.
Huang’er was drinking water by the river. Only after drinking his fill did he run back. Shen Yan and Wei Lanxiang had gone up the mountain to dig for bamboo shoots. Time passed quickly, and it was already late spring. Wild grass grew rampant, trees flourished, and the livestock had no shortage of grazing.
He hadn’t been sitting alone for long when Huang’er suddenly wagged his tail and barked twice. Turning his head, he saw Shen Xuanqing approaching.
"Finished tidying up?" Lu Gu couldn’t help but smile. Earlier, when he had come out, Shen Xuanqing had been shoveling rabbit droppings.
"Done." Shen Xuanqing smiled back. He wasn’t comfortable with Lu Gu going out alone, so he naturally came to check. Lu Gu’s belly was getting bigger, and usually, either Shen Yan or Ji Qiuyue would accompany him on walks. Today, Ji Qiuyue and Shen Yaoqing had taken the children back to her family home in a mule-drawn cart.
"The stone is cold. Use this as a cushion." He took off his outer garment, folded it twice, and handed it to Lu Gu to sit on.
Lu Gu initially wanted to refuse, but seeing Shen Xuanqing’s serious expression, he reluctantly accepted it.
"Next time you come out, bring that small square quilt. It has a bit of cotton inside, it’ll be softer to sit on." Shen Xuanqing stood beside him, pinching his fulang's earlobe playfully.
People were washing clothes by the river, and others were herding cattle or ducks nearby. Even if they weren’t right in front of them, Lu Gu was afraid of being seen, so he lightly swatted Shen Xuanqing's hand away.
The small square quilt had been made by Wei Lanxiang in winter for him to cushion his chair, fearing he’d catch cold. Now that it was warmer, it wasn’t needed anymore. But hearing Shen Xuanqing’s suggestion, he nodded in agreement. "Alright, I’ll remember."
Shen Xuanqing chuckled when his hand was swatted away but didn’t tease further. Just as he was about to ask Lu Gu what he wanted for lunch, distant barks were heard. Huang’er also started barking toward the mountain. Both of them looked over and soon saw Da Hui and Da Hei running from the riverbank.
"Mother and Yan Yan are back," Lu Gu said, reaching out to rub Da Hui’s furry head as the dog ran up to him.
"I’ll go meet them." Shen Xuanqing headed in their direction.
The two dogs ran fast, while Wei Lanxiang and Shen Yan were still descending the slope. It took them a while to catch up.
Seeing the three of them approaching, Lu Gu stood up and called out cheerfully, "Mother!"
Before she even reached him, Wei Lanxiang responded with a smile, "What would you like for lunch, Guzi? How about stewed chicken with bamboo shoots?"
"Sounds good." Lu Gu nodded. They’d been eating pork and rabbit meat lately, so chicken and soup would be a nice change.
"You just sit and rest. Yan Yan, stay here with your Brother Guzi. Erqing, go back and slaughter a chicken." Wei Lanxiang gave orders without hesitation.
"Mm." Shen Xuanqing, carrying a bamboo basket, followed her back.
"Where’s Second Brother’s outer garment?" Shen Yan plopped down on the stone to rest, sitting on the other half. "Oh, Brother Guzi, you should sit too. I’m exhausted today, Mother and I walked far and even picked sweet berries to eat. Ah! I forgot, the sweet berries I picked for you are still in the basket!"
Seeing her flustered, Lu Gu smiled and reassured her, "No hurry, we can eat them later. They won’t run away. Rest first."
"Right." Shen Yan had been about to call Shen Xuanqing back but decided against it.
The two of them rested by the river for a while. Shen Yan, unable to stay idle, picked a few pretty flowers. When the calf went to the river to drink, Lu Gu called out, "Time to go back!" once it lifted its head. The calf understood and trotted ahead, tail wagging.
Picking up Shen Xuanqing’s garment from the stone, Lu Gu and Shen Yan followed behind. Da Hui panted beside them, tongue lolling. Huang’er and Da Hei had already gone ahead with Shen Xuanqing.
Back home, the calf went into its pen on its own, needing no guidance. Shen Xuanqing was boiling water, the chicken already caught and tied up outside the shed.
"Go sit in the front yard. No need for you two here," Wei Lanxiang said, busy slicing bamboo shoots.
"Mother, where are the sweet berries?" Shen Yan asked, not seeing them in the basket.
"On the table in front," Shen Xuanqing replied, adding firewood to the stove.
The front gate was shut tight since they’d all been out. Just as Lu Gu was about to open it after eating the sweet berries, he noticed Guaizi and Xiao Huang had knocked over a bamboo tray and were stealing peanuts. Huang’er and Da Bai were also there, only Da Hui and Da Hei were missing, likely drinking water in the back.
It suddenly made sense why he hadn’t seen Guaizi earlier or heard any noise.
Shen Yan, stepping out, saw it too and scolded with a laugh, "Ah, so this is where you’ve been hiding, stealing food!"
Her words made all four dogs flatten their ears guiltily, avoiding eye contact and looking elsewhere.
Da Bai, especially guilty, even shuffled to hide peanut shells under his rear, earning another laugh from Shen Yan. "You’re not afraid of sitting on something sharp?"
She gave Da Bai’s behind a firm smack, and Xiao Huang didn’t escape either. Huang’er with his tail tucked, tried to flee but got a light kick. Though Lu Gu could tell it wasn’t hard, the dog yelped dramatically as if in pain.
Only Guaizi, despite his guilt, dashed away along the wall and bolted to the backyard, making Shen Yan shout after him, "Shameless!" Lu Gu couldn’t help but laugh - while the other dogs froze in guilt, Guaizi was the craftiest.
The commotion of Guaizi’s escape was loud, and soon Wei Lanxiang called out, "What happened?"
"Nothing, Mother. The dogs knocked over the peanuts," Shen Yan replied.
Unable to squat comfortably due to his belly, Lu Gu only picked up the bamboo tray and handed it to Shen Yan.
"Hey, Brother Guzi, look—this dog even shells peanuts?" Shen Yan exclaimed in surprise, showing him a half-opened shell with bite marks resembling human peeling. A few peanut kernels lay uneaten on the ground.
Guaizi had been lying there earlier, and even Lu Gu was amazed. Their Guaizi was truly clever, especially when it came to food.
Peanuts were scattered everywhere. As they checked the other dogs’ messes, they noticed Da Bai was surprisingly neat - empty shells in one pile, half-eaten peanuts in another. Guaizi and the two little yellow dogs were messier, mixing shells and nuts. The younger dogs, perhaps due to age, weren’t as skilled as Guaizi at shelling, leaving many peanuts crushed.
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